A Thread Uncut
by Luminessa
Summary: How different would things be if Mrs. Tendo was still alive? This is a What If type of story. Hope you like it.
1. And so it begins

Mrs. Tendo tapped her foot on the tile floor outside the principle's office door. She hated being here. She had disliked high school and no amount of time was going to change her dislike of the building. In fact, if it wasn't for the ridiculous and dangerous happenings of the school she would have never stepped foot on the grounds again. But she was here for her daughter, her baby girl, Akane. The fights were getting out of hand, and becoming more and more frequent. It wasn't Akane's fault by any means, if she didn't fight she would face horrible consequences on both her personal honor but the ideas the boys would get if they thought they had "won". Kameko sighed, her other daughters never had this much trouble in school. She was startled when the door to the principle's office flew open and a meek old woman came out. It was the secretary, the same one who had worked in the office when she herself was a girl. The woman was barely any help then, she couldn't see how she could be of any help now.

"I am very sorry Mrs. Tendo. But the principle is out you must come back another time." The woman stated plainly staring blankly into Kameko's eyes.

"He has been "out" for at least three weeks. Who am I supposed to talk to about getting these attacks on my daughter stopped? It is interfering with her school work and becoming dangerous."

"Now, now Mrs. Tendo. I have seen Miss Tendo and she can take care of herself." The woman started towards her desk, dismissing the matter entirely.

"It's not my daughter I am worried about." Kameko stared at the woman who simply ignored her statement. Sighing in defeat, she turned to leave. "I guess I'll just have to go to the school board and make a report on the behavior that is allowed to continue in this school." She smiled when she heard the ancient woman gasp and start to make phone calls.

"So you talked to the principal?" Akane's eyes were wide with hope and excitement as she drilled her mother as she walked along side her on the way back to the house.

"Not exactly…" Akane's smile faded with dread, "but it was arranged that you cannot be attacked during school hours on in the building itself."

Akane processed that information for a second. "But mom…that means they can still attack me before and after school"

"Well, its better than always getting attacked during lunch or in class. I don't think you've actually eaten lunch in a few weeks. If I could have found something to hang over the Kuno's to end this behavior I would have used it. But that family is so crazy they don't care what is said about them."

Akane just sighed and walked beside her mother. "I guess I could try to catch them all in the morning…"

Soun was hiding. He had received a postcard from his dear friend Genma, who was bringing his son, Ranma with him back from China. This normally wouldn't cause problems except one detail, the arranged engagement between Ranma and one of his daughters. An arrangement that his wife was neither aware of nor approving of. Kameko was teaching in the Dojo, the beginner's class would be ending any minute and she would come looking for him. She had seen the postcard and had immediately become suspicious when he refused to let her see it. Her suspicion had turn to anger when he had ordered their daughters home for the next few days, keeping their oldest daughter from her classes. He thought that she would be glad to have all her daughters home for awhile. Unfortunately for him, his daughters were also suspicious of the reasoning behind the sudden call to be home and had been looking for him while their mother was in class.

"Daddy. I don't think that hiding under the bed is going to save you from Mom, let alone the rest of us." Kasumi's face peered under the bed skirt at her father.

"I can't believe he's really under the bed. It's really sad, Dad." Nabiki rolled her eyes, disgusted with her father, "Akane, we found him, Kasumi was right he's hiding under the bed."

"I am not coming out. I don't have to answer to you three. I am the head of this house and I answer to no one." Soun had mustered the most dignified tone of voice one could when hiding from your wife under the bed.

"No one? Are you sure about that, dear husband?" Kameko came in through the door followed by Akane. "Come out from under that bed before you make more of a fool of yourself in front of your daughters."

Shuffling noises came from under the bed as Kasumi got out of the way to let her father out from underneath. Soun was covered with dust and there were dust bunnies clinging to his hair and mustache. Akane covered her mouth to restrain from laughing out right at her father, as the other women in the room tried hard not to giggle at him. Soun sat on top of the bed in defeat, and looked down at his hands, waiting.

"Well?" Kameko raised her eyebrows. Soun tried to look innocent, but Kameko didn't buy it for a minute. "What did that idiot of a friend of yours say this time and what does it have to do with our daughters?"

Soun explained the plan to join the two school and for Genma's son to inherit the dojo by marrying one of his daughters. He honestly thought that the explanation would take longer than the whole minute it actually took to tell the women of his household. The look of shock and anger on their faces were not promising to his physical health, especially from his wife and youngest daughter who had inherited her mother's temper and flare for violent reactions. He looked at his other daughters and knew that his emotional and financial health was also in deep despair. Kasumi and Nabiki rarely inflicted violence but could guilt, and embezzle with the best of them.

Kameko blinked, "You did what with my daughters and dojo." Soun winced at that because the house and dojo had been a wedding present from her parents. Five seconds, later Soun was running out of the house with Kameko fast behind him with mallet in hand.

And so there they sat, Soun on one side of the table and Kameko, Kasumi, Nabiki and Akane on the other. The family honor forbid refusing the engagement outright, but if they could get to another agreement then the honor of the family wouldn't suffer. They were waiting for Genma and his son to arrive. Soun was nursing a dislocated shoulder and sporting a black eye but had come out better than he thought he would have. Luckily, Kameko had mellowed out as she had gotten older.

Author's note: Mrs. Tendo's first name is not mentioned in either the manga nor the anime so I found my own. Kameko means symbol of eternal or long life. I thought that was fitting considering the circumstances.


	2. Here's Ranma

Author's Note: Thank you for all the reviews and criticisms. I appreciate the input. As far as Kameko's affect on the story line, it will be quite a bit. I think that the reason Soun quite teaching a the dojo was because he'd become a single parent and couldn't do both. Also, although both Kameko and Akane may have tempers, I don't think they would be at the same caliber. Akane's main anger, I think, in the manga and anime was the fact she had all sorts of boy trouble and no mother to talk to and Kameko would have probably taught her how to focus her anger in her martial arts… anyway on with the story.

Kasumi started to fidget. She hated not being busy and the silence of the room was deafening. They had been sitting there since the morning.

"Would anyone like some tea?" She asked praying someone would say yes. She looked around the table hopefully.

"Tea would be lovely Kasumi," Kameko said looking around the table, "who else would like some." Everyone nodded in agreement at the offer. Kasumi cheerfully went to the haven that was her mother's kitchen.

"I wish I could cook like her." Akane grumbled while her mother moved to sit next to Soun.

"You may be able to someday, Akane. But you still need practice. Kasumi has always had a knack for cooking, just like Nabiki and money. If she hadn't joined nursing school I would have liked to see her in cooking school to become professional chef." Kameko explained

"Besides Akane you have gotten better…now that you watch what you put into stuff." Nabiki's smart comment awarded her a glare from both sister and mother, "well its true, she has gotten better."

Soun stayed quiet during the exchange between the women, thinking how wonderful it will be to have men around the house. Kameko noticed his eyes glaze over in thought.

"What are you thinking, Soun?" waving her hand in front of his face to get his attention.

"How wonderful it will be to have men around to help teach in the dojo." Soun said before he could catch himself.

"Father, if you didn't want Mom and Akane to help you teach in the dojo, you could have hired someone." Kasumi stated as she brought tea and cookies to the table. Kasumi sat and started to pour tea for her father.

"Er…that is not what I meant," looking at his wife, "it just would be nice to have some men around the house."

"I agree with you, Daddy." Nabiki grinned at the idea, while her sisters rolled their eyes, "I really hope, Ranma is cute."

"Nabiki, do ever think about anything else but boys?" Akane asked disgusted with the idea of having one of those violent, perverts in her home.

"Money?" Nabiki smiled, Kameko laughed at her daughter's comment remembering similar conversations she had had as a girl.

"You girls make me feel young some days. So husband, what is this Ranma like. I hope he isn't anything like his father."

"I have no idea."

"…" The room got quiet as they all looked him.

"No idea? Surely you've met the boy?" Kameko prayed her husband was not having one of those spells where all his common sense flew away. Like the few years, he'd had spent with Genma after they had gotten married, leaving both her and, if she remembered correctly, Genma's wife alone with small children. She didn't know much about Genma's family, in fact, she'd only met his wife once. She thought her name might have been Nodona or Nodoka, she couldn't remember. She always pondered that Genma never let the woman come over because he was afraid she would talk some sense into the woman and would leave him. Kameko shook her head of the memories, as her husband started talking.

"No, I've never met the boy."

Nabiki and Akane just stared at their father in disbelief.

"Father, I am not going to agree with any arrangement. You've never met the boy, and I am a full time student. And Dr. Tofu finally can talk to me in full sentence so I am taken." Kasumi looked down at her tea, she had never been so directly disagreeable to her parents before.

"But Kasumi…" Soun had started to tear up as he whined to his daughter.

"Stop it, Soun. Leave the girl alone. I have no intention of letting you marry any of my daughters off anyway." Soun looked as if he was going to start crying, Kameko glared at him, hoping that would be enough to stop the would be water works. All their daughters visibly relaxed at their mother's statement.

Luckily, at that exact moment there was yelling heard in the courtyard of the property. Soun's eyes immediately stopped watering as he stood to answer the door with Nabiki right behind him.

"Oh, I hope he's cute." Nabiki squealed chasing after her father to the front door. The other three women stood and made to follow the previous two when they heard Nabiki scream and run back toward the main room. A few seconds later Soun was also running back toward the rest of the family with a giant panda following him. On the panda's shoulder was a person with bright red hair who was yelling, kicking and struggling against the panda's hold.

"You're scaring 'em, spitless." The person struggled until the panda let them down, right in front of Soun. Kameko just stared and had put her daughters behind her, which meant they were as far away from the panda as possible.

"Y-you wouldn't be Ranma…would you?" Soun stammered at the smaller person in front of him.

"I am Ranma Saotome…" Ranma looked down ashamed, "sorry about this."

"At last! You've come!" Soun grabbed Ranma in a full embrace, squeezing tight.

"Soun…" Kameko looked at her husband, who had just realized what she had notice a few minutes earlier, "let the girl go."

"GIRL?" Kasumi, Akane and Nabiki said shocked and surprised. Soun immediately put the girl at arm's length.

Nabiki, forgetting about the panda for the time being, walked up to the girl and poked her breast, "Daddy, Ranma is a girl? You tried to marry one of us off to a girl!" Nabiki screeched as she continued to poke Ranma.

"Would you please stop that." Ranma said quietly. Kameko grabbed her middle daughter by the shoulders and pulled her away from the other girl.

"Nabiki, remember you manners." She looked to her husband, and shook her head. He was in shock and was tearing up, "Kasumi, Nabiki get your father to his room before he falls down."

The two girls led the befuddled man to his bedroom as he kept repeating, "He said he had a son."

"Now, Ranma, I am terribly sorry about the confusion and my daughter's rude behavior. This is my youngest daughter, Akane." Akane beamed at the sad looking girl, who smiled back. "How old are you, Ranma?"

"16"

"Kasumi is 19 and Nabiki is 17. Akane and you will be sharing classes since you're both the same age." Kameko smiled at the girl.

"That's great! Want to go practice in the Dojo. Dad said you and your father practice martial arts."

"Sure that would be great." Ranma followed Akane out to the Dojo.

Kameko smiled at the two girls, "now where did that Panda go?" Looking around for the panda she was startled when someone tapped her on the shoulder.

"Who are you!" Kameko half screamed as she faced the intruder.

"Kameko, you wouldn't have forgotten your husband's best friend?" Genma smiled hoping to ease the tension in the room.

"Oh I remember you all right. You got my husband to just up and leave right after Kasumi was born and then for awhile after Akane was born. How could you do that?" Kameko looked accusingly at Genma.

"He wanted to go. The babies made him nervous." Genma shrugged, as if he hadn't told Soun at the time that his wife thought it was an excellent idea.

"Not that you idiot, telling him you had a son. That poor daughter of yours looked ashamed." Kameko accosted him, backing Genma into a wall with her words and growing anger.

"Let me explain, Ranma is not what you think." Genma pleaded, "Where's Soun, I will explain everything."

The Dojo

"So do you do Karate?" Akane asked as Ranma crossed the floor of the Dojo to face her.

"A little…" Ranma said, thinking this might not have been the best idea considering the current situation.

"Well, we can have a little match…" Akane watched Ranma, as she grew nervous, "Don't worry, I won't hurt you."

"If you say so" Ranma said standing still waiting for Akane's attack. Akane flew at her with punches, all of which, she dodged effortlessly.

"I think you've had more than just 'a little' training in this," Akane said and went into a different fighting stance, "How about we do this for real?"

Ranma nodded and Akane took that as a yes. Although the fighting style was similar, Akane started to move quicker and Ranma was having to work harder to avoid her attacks. Akane started circling around Ranma, but she was getting confused as to why the other girl wasn't attacking. She got Ranma against a wall, and made punch at Ranma. Ranma jumped, flipping over Akane and started to land when Akane twisted around mid punch and hit Ranma in the shins as she landed. Ranma fell to the ground and kicked Akane's legs out from under her and caught her as she fell so she wouldn't hit the hard wood floor of the dojo. Akane and Ranma laid there for a minute breathless until Ranma suddenly sat up and put about a foot of distance between the two.

"Sorry about kicking you. It's a reflex." Ranma said staring at her hands.

"Don't worry about it. You're really good. Maybe you could help teach some the of the night classes after school." Akane started to get up and offered Ranma a hand up. Ranma looked at the hand offered and took it. " and besides, at least you aren't a boy." Akane stated as she started for the door.

"Why's that?"

"Because I would hate losing to a boy." Ranma winced at the comment but Akane had already left the dojo.

House

"So you dragged your son to China for training, didn't know what the dangers were and now you change into a panda and he into a girl when hit with cold water, but its reversible when doused with hot water. Have I got this right?" Kameko demanded of the now Panda sitting in front of her, holding an emptied vase in her hands. Her husband was sitting next to her, mumbling about the dangerous path of a true martial artist. Kameko rolled her eyes, of all the stupid, senseless things she had heard over her lifetime about the life of martial artist, this little mishap truly took the cake.

"Here's the kettle with hot water, mother." Kasumi came into the room and traded the kettle with boiling water for the empty flower vase with her mother. "What did you need it for?" She asked confused as she looked at the wet, smelly panda.

"A little experiment…" Kameko said as she poured the water over Genma and watched as the panda melted into the form of a man. A screaming man, considering the water temperature, but a man just the same. "Amazing absolutely amazing. Kasumi where's Ranma and Akane?"

Kasumi took a second to respond, she was slightly in shock over what she had just seen. "Oh, Ranma was going to take a bath, I think."

"And, Akane?"

Kasumi looked at her mother for a moment, "I think she was saying something about taking a bath too." Kameko started running for the other end of the house. She raced through the hallway, down to the bathroom, as she was coming up to it she saw Akane's long, dark hair disappear behind the door. She got to the door and bust in right as Akane was starting to undress.

"Mom, what's wrong?" Akane asked startled as she put her robe back on in surprise.

"You don't need to be in there right now ok. Hold on just a second." Kameko pulled a robe from a shelf and opened the door to the main bathing area, without looking in she shoved the robe into the room. "Ranma, put this on and come out now. I know about the curse."

Akane looked at her mother like she was a mentally ill person, "Mom, what is wrong with-" She stopped because right then Ranma stepped out of the furo, but it wasn't the Ranma she had been sparring with. "W-who are you?"

"I'm Ranma Saotome…sorry about this."


	3. The plot thickens

Author's Note: Sorry I haven't updated. Again I would like to thank everyone for his or her reviews and comments. However, I would like to state that this is merely just a hobby so please not so rough next time huh? Any way let the story continue.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Akane blinked at the boy in front of her. "What did you do with her you pervert!" She screamed as she punched Ranma square in the nose as she ran into the other room to find her new friend.

"Akane! Oh my, Ranma are you bleeding?" Kameko asked the boy who was crouched over holding his nose. She turned and grabbed a wet cloth to help with the bleeding, as her daughter came back through the door, looking scared and furious at the same time.

"Well, what did you do with her!" as Akane went to hit Ranma yet a second time.

"Akane! Get out of here now or so help me you'll be grounded for a month!" Kameko screamed as she grabbed her daughter's arm mid swing and pushed her out into the main house and locked the door. "Ranma, are you okay?"

"She's kinda violent, ain't she?" Ranma said still holding his nose. Kameko raised her eyebrows at that not willing to discuss that feature of her daughter's personality.

"Akane, thought you had hurt her new friend, she can be a bit overzealous but she's really quite sweet." She took the now bloody wash cloth away from Ranma who looked as if he didn't believe a word she had just said. Kameko rolled her eyes, "Come on, lets get you properly introduced to the family." As she unlocked the door, she found Akane waiting right outside, ready to pounce, "Akane, get your sister's, we need to talk."

"But Mom, what about Ran-"

"Just do as I say, Akane" Kameko said in the sternest tone she could muster. Akane gave Ranma an evil glare as she left to do her mother's bidding. Ranma almost flinched at the anger in Akane's eyes. Kameko looked up at the boy, he looked as if he was a condemned man, tired, a little sad, but yet relieved that the truth had come out. Kameko sighed as she led the way to the main hall.

It didn't take long for everyone to gather around the table. Everyone had heard the screaming which was very unusual in the Tendo household. Usually when the family argued it was in the form of formal challenges in the dojo when the argument could not be settled peacefully and quietly. Soun and Genma were waiting as Kameko and Ranma came into the room, a few seconds later Nabiki walked in, followed by Kasumi and Akane. All had changed back into their normal clothing, Nabiki looked at the portly, old man sitting next to her father and shot her mother a confused look, and then she noticed Ranma, and couldn't help but stare. Ranma began to squirm under the girl's unrelenting stare until Akane poked Nabiki in the ribs. Ranma smiled at Akane as a thank you but she just looked away.

"Genma, would you please tell my daughter's what you have told Soun and myself." Kameko asked politely as she started pouring tea.

"Why yes, Kameko, I would be delighted."

Ranma rolled his eyes at his father, "yeah, old man, tell 'em exactly how you got us into this mess."

"Quiet, boy. You should have known there would be sacrifices to become a martial artist. You have to be willing to sacrifice your life for the art." Genma said smugly.

"Genma, please explain the situation." Kameko stated plainly hoping to get this over with without getting into an argument between father and son.

"My life maybe but not my manhood!" Ranma declared, ignoring Kameko entirely. Meanwhile the other women in the Tendo family just looked from one Saotome to the other wondering what Ranma was talking about.

"Oh, how my son disgraces me! Here let me show them what has become of you!" Genma yelled as he grabbed Ranma and tossed him into the koi pond in the Tendo's yard.

"Genma, was that entirely, necessary?" Kameko yelled as she ran to find towels. The girls watched where the boy had landed in the pond and were quite shocked when the red head they had met earlier jumped out of the pond sputtering profanities at Genma.

"Well, how you like to have a panda as a father?" Ranma screeched in her female voice as she charged Genma and tossed him into the pond. Out of the pond, came the large and now very smelly panda from earlier and for the next hour the Tendo family watched the two fight out in the yard.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Ranma was surprised to find how accepting the Tendo's were of his "condition". He could tell where the power of this family came, the matriarch Kameko. She was kind, loving, strong and absolutely terrifying at the same time. He had never really known his mother and his father was anything but a model parent. Ranma sighed as he looked at the stairs, laying on the roof of the main house it was quite and peaceful but he could hear the voices of the rooms below him. He wasn't trying to eavesdrop but he couldn't help but hear the Tendo's discussing the "arrangement" between him and one Tendo daughters with his father. Mrs. Tendo had stopped the discussion earlier that evening demanding that the "children" not be involved with conversation. That made Ranma snort, the entire conversation was about his future, and he couldn't see why he wasn't involved. There had been a whisper among the girls that the arranged marriage was not going to happen. He certainly hoped they were right. Ranma sat up when he heard the ladder creak, in the darkness he saw the youngest Tendo silhouetted by the streetlights. She looked at him and then looked down as if she was embarrassed.

"Here to hit me again?" Ranma asked nonchalantly, he immediately regretted it when he saw her eyes flare up momentarily with anger and then quickly replaced with shame.

"About that..." Akane whispered unsure, "I am sorry. I was…well surprised is all. I didn't realize that you were the girl…" She trailed off unsure of what to say still standing on the ladder as if not sure she would get on the roof.

Ranma raised his eyebrows, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the curse…it's kinda embarrassing." He laid back down on the roof, "so that make me not a pervert right?" He asked staring at the sky. He heard the girl get on the roof and walk across to sit next to him.

"I guess…" Akane said looking up.

"Whadda ya mean, "I guess"" Ranma demanded sitting back up to look at the girl.

"Well… all guys are perverts. Why should you be any different?" Akane looked at him, her gaze seemed to see through Ranma soul, as if half expecting Ranma to challenge her.

Ranma looked away from her and used the only defense he had managed to learn for something other than fights, facetious banter. "I'm different 'cause I'm a girl sometimes…and I am waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay sexier than anything I've ever seen." Ranma looked back to where Akane's face had been and made direct contact with her fist instead. When he sat back up, all he saw was Akane's hands climbing back down the ladder.

"Geez, what a violent girl…" Ranma touched his nose, it was tender but he didn't think it was broken. He listened to the night air and heard the voices below become more loud and agitated. He heard his name and the youngest Tendo's, his interest peaked Ranma crawled across the roof to hang over and get a better sound.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"Kameko, Ranma and Akane would be perfect. They are the same age and Akane has more skill in the art than our two other girls." Soun pleaded to his wife. Kameko raised her eyebrows.

"Did you two not hear what I have been saying for the past hour? We are not, I repeat, ARE NOT engaging two 16-year-old children. It cruel to do that, and you know how I feel about arranged marriages." Kameko added a good scowl to get her point across.

"But dear, our marriage was arranged." Soun said trying to convince the stubborn woman.

"My point exactly." Kameko said coldly fed up with the conversation. Their marriage had been arranged when Kameko was sixteen and she was marriage by seventeen. She had grown to love her husband but it was a tough first few years. Soun looked at Kameko and suddenly backed down from the fight, knowing that if he continued any farther old scars in their marriage would be reopened. Genma however was not so intelligent.

"Well, how about we let you think about it for a night, huh Kameko my dear?" Genma stated oblivious to the signals Soun was giving him to shut up.

"A night to think it over? Why yes I do believe that is a good idea. Ranma can have the guest room. Soun you know where the spare bed mats are in the Dojo." Kameko said almost cheerfully.

"In the dojo?" Soun looked at Kameko confused.

"Yes in the dojo…both of you. So that I can think about this idea of yours. Isn't that what you said Genma?" Kameko glared at the two men until they started to squirm and finally left the room for an escape. She felt someone watching her and turned to see a blur of movement from her window.

Ranma was shocked at what he had just heard. Kameko didn't want the engagement. He was so happy that someone was on his side. He jumped off the roof and ran back into the house. Laughing to himself that there was someone who could make his father see reason.


End file.
